Event brand variations 2 of 12 outcomes

Event image 1 of 8 outcomes

December AA colour ad

The 2010 National Architecture Conference held in Sydney is Australia’s most anticipated forum exploring architecture. The speaker and event programme is put together by a guest creative director who sets the tone of the event. The communication outcomes we have developed have come about in collaboration with this year’s director Melanie Dodd.

The thematic for the conference theme that Ms Dodd put together is as follows:

extra/ordinary will dwell on the culture of the extraordinarily ordinary. As an antidote to the incessant abstractions of globalization, we will be gathering together those who have an enthusiasm for engaging with the contingency of the everyday: inventing new ways of operating; embracing collaborative approaches and initiating direct action on the ground. Producing outcomes that are innovative and utilitarian, provocative and pragmatic. Resolving ordinary problems in extraordinary ways.

Lateral approaches, rather than a perpetuation of the status quo, characterise these overlaps and collaborations in practice. Improvisation is a critical component and contingency rules. Out of the morass of limited budget and intractable problems lies the seed of innovation. Rather than being the product of hopeless compromise, constraint provokes profound transformations at the limits of practice.

In terms of the work, all the outcomes we have developed communicate the idea of extra/ordinary. As a process we presented ordinary and available objects in extraordinary yet simple combinations. Our intention is to create contrast, variation and inventiveness in brands, paper stocks, type choices, images and layout so that every experience is varied yet linked.

The latest ad in Australian Architecture contrast pencil shavings, domestic animals, jet fighters, giant planets, abstract built forms pulled together by a crate oblique. Stay tuned for the event posters due for distribution in late February.

Visit the conference here

Hello out there, 2010 is here. Ten years ago another decade, a millenia, announced its arrival, very dramatically under the winds of the Y2K bug, and then the decade and the bug passed and time pressed on being busy. It is interesting to note the energy that corporations pumped into Y2K – a massive effort in dabbling with destiny.

The studio has been in holiday mode recovering from 2009 and as a result we are having a break from writing posts, making work and causing havoc.

During the break one has been watching a little television and the BBC2’s Seven Ages of Rock series is being aired. The second installment of the series, White Light, White Heat, explored the Art Rock period covering the likes of Pink Floyd, Bowie, The Velvet Underground, Roxy Music, and Early Genesis. Set in the late 1960s and 1970s, this episode explored rock as it transcended in an artful and multimedia mode.

Our bias for the Art Rock period can be found in the studio’s I-tunes playlist, and here is where this post’s segue begins.

We are in the process of preparing the studio’s next publication and this process is allowing us to explore the fundamentals of what we do and how we do it. There is a lot of searching in preparing this project and one can’t help to get back to basics and it continually amazed one how individual the creative process is. Call in several designers and set them to the same task, there will be at least several solutions.

This thought is where we get back to Roxy Music and their singer Bryan Ferry. Though out his career Ferry has covered many standard rock hits, in fact his first solo album – These foolish things – is an album of covers. A standout is track number one a cover – of Dylan’s “A hard rain’s gonna fall”.

Please stay tuned while we recharge this summer (January)  and have a break from doing design and writing posts. In the meantime see how the one idea can be two very different interpretations.

In response to some recent feedback regarding the appropriateness of our 2009 Christmas image, we felt that it was apt to note the ideas and influences that led to the generation of the outcome.

Each year the studio can send up to 400 hundred cards, and in the twenty so years that Andrew has made Christmas cards he has explored the notion of the Christmas message. There are several Christmas themes under his scrutiny which include – the commercialisation of Christmas, religious themes, the Australian lifestyle, the universal message to take into account all cultures, the notion of making best wishes.

This year we explored taboos, while the year before we send out a message of universal peace. Over the years some cards go by with little comment, while other cards, such as the card produced in 1999 had clients either wanting copies to frame or copies to burn.

This year with all of its up and downs we felt it was time to find a comfy cliche and mash it up – like giving Rudolf a little vice, while at the same sending our best wishes to one and all.

Our work is research and observation based. In the course of researching ideas and outcomes, we come across many strange and curious ways and means in which people communicate.

This year we encountered the wonderful work of Sassy Park. Sassy is a Sydney based artist who recently produced a show of ceramic works and jewelery – Smoking Girl and other Tales, which explored the idea of mixed childlike themes and ideas. Sassy’s work made a lasting impression upon the studio and we liked the idea that of smoking could be associated with something as innocent as a child.

The Smoking Girl struck us in May 2009 and since we have spent many hours looking at the idea of sending mixed messages. The advertising of the 1950s, the sculptural artworks of Jeff Koons, the word play of Australian artist Jon Campbell, and fractured fairy tales – ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by Maurice Sendak, the animation series ‘Fractured Fairy Tales’ and the curious German fables for children (originally written in 1845 by German physician Heinrich Hoffmann (1809-1894)), ‘Der Struwwelpeter’ – all struck a chord as they are loaded with well intended yet mixed messages.

Our work is often centred around phrases and these phrases inspire the potential images. This year’s Christmas campaign started with the idea of wishing all of our clients and friends the best year possible in the coming 12 months. After much debate we agreed upon – Have a smokin’ new year, because as a phrase it had the potential to generate a range of mixed messages. According to the Slang Dictionary, smokin’ [?smok?n] is a : 1. mod. excellent; really hot; overpowering. : If you wanna hear some smokin’ vinyl, just stay tuned. Further to basic definitions the actual origins range from cigarette smoking, the boxer Smokin Joe Robinson to speed racing car slang.

As a homage to Sassy’s work and 1950s advertising messages we mused with the idea of pushing the Rudolf cliché – a Rudolf that has many conflicting ideas going on yet with always the best intentions. Tiger Woods may also be a recent candidate.

As a studio of non smokers, in world that is increasingly difficult to freely smoke cigarettes, the idea of associating one of Christmas’s cutest icons – Rudolf, with one of the world’s most unlikely matches – cigarettes, seemed to have potential for making a lasting impression with our audience. As smoking has become proven to be a habit that can bring on, or fast track cancer, cigarette smoking in recent years has rapidly become one of Australia’s most unfashionable habits. The irony being that 60 years ago such an idea may have well been acceptable. In contrast, 60 years later we are opening ourselves to scrutiny by the religious and politically correct members of the community.

This year’s image is again executed with rubber stamps, cut paper and a generous dash of time – all cards are hand made by members of the studio.

As another amazing year comes to a close, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you out there for visiting our space and engaging with our way of doing things. With what is left of this year we promise to meet a few deadlines, reflect a little, dream up a few half baked manifestos and take some time out.

Happy, healthy, prosperous and smokin’ new year to all

Again, we invite you to explore Sassy’s work, her ceramic charms and jewelery are fine, cheeky, and an artful artwork you could own and wear. Visit Sassy here

The Smoking Girl by Sassy Park, image by Karl Schwerdtfeger

The original ‘Der Struwwelpeter’ – a lesson of stealing

1950s cigarette advertising samples (note the smoking penguin)

Happy whatever – 1999 for Precinct design

Peace Dove by Studio Pip and Co, 2008

Andrew’s surprise presentation entrance

Five minutes later the Koala suit is getting real hot

Andrew dreams of lethal lazer eyes while posing with Brisbane design week poster

Delegates sampling posters by Lancashire, Pip and Co and Pidgeon on day 01

Cultural clichés are aspects of a culture’s make up that many people involved in creativity and innovation avoid. A term has been developed to describe this process – cultural cringe.

When an Australian talks about graphic communication to an international audience there are many considerations to make when preparing the presentation – How can one present the idea of Australian design in a memorable and provoking context?

The presentations that appeal to the studio are outcomes where the speaker attempts to move beyond the typical ’show and tell’ format to explore ideas, stories and contexts that attempt to engage the audience with unique narratives – It is compelling to be drawn into creative dialogues where one is taken on a journey. Lectures by Chip Kid, Irma Boom, Paul Sahre, Shigeo Fukuda, Tobias Frere-Jones, Sagmiester and Rick Poynor come to mind. These lecturers have made moments that make creativity compelling, funny, instructional, inspired, simple, seamless, curious and unique.

Our presentation in China for the Icograda World Design Congress explored many ideas which tipped upon – the make up of creative cultures, what are the icons of Australian culture, the perception of design in Australia, to shifts in the roles of producing the creative product.

We asked ourselves – how would a Chinese, Canadian, Brit, German or American respond when the idea of Australia, or Australian design, was presented to them? On mass we felt the idea of Australia was an obvious vision filled with Koalas, Vegemite, The Opera House and dangerous creatures. The idea of Australia design, in contrast, we felt may invite a long thoughtful pause which morphs into variations of Koalas, Vegemite, the Opera House and dangerous creatures.

We concluded that Australian design is a little known facet of the international community and that Australia’s top cultural icons and clichés have little reference to creativity and design, as compared to communities in Europe, the US, Japan.

Put this theory to the test – ask a friend what iconic internationally known American, French, German, English, Italian, or Japanese design they know? The typical response will probably quote a range of cars, buildings, fashion labels or products.

Then ask the same friend to – Name any iconic internationally lauded Australian design which comes to mind?

With this idea in hand, we felt that it was timely to embrace one of Australia’s great icons, the koala, and tell our version of Australian design in print and in presentation.

Thanks again to David Pidgeon, David Lancashire, Rita Siow, Tanja Hall and Sarah for their support prior and during the process of making this curious project real.

Read about cultural cringe here

Visit ICOGRADA here

This November two of France’s most popular acts, Cocoon and Moriarty, are heading to Australia presented by client and studio friend Cartell Music for an exotic French fused double bill.

The studio has developed the So Frenchy So Chic Live brand along with all the press and street promotional material for this tour.

Moriarty sing in English and with a Natalie-Merchant-meets-early-Neil-Young sound that’s been variously described as folk, country, blues, jazz and even Americana…

Cocoon’s catchy original songs, sexy unique covers, and delicate come enchanting takes disco classics are sure to please an Australian audiences that want to move beyond the lifestyle culture…

Head to Cartell Music for your ticket now, and sign up for your authentic French fix this November.

Tour dates:

Wednesday 25 November, Prince of Wales, Melbourne
Thursday 26 November, Brisbane Power House
Friday 27 November, Factory Theatre, Sydney
Saturday 28 November, Adelaide Festival Centre

Visit Cartell Music for details and tickets…